fracking

NDP Environment and Conservation Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says confirmation yesterday that the oil seepage at Shoal Point is coming from an abandoned and deteriorating well demonstrates the lack of an adequate emergency response system for spills.

In Port au Port Bay, a once-thriving scallop fishery is now struggling. Workers in the field think the oil leaking from Shoal Point may have contributed to the abrupt drop in shellfish numbers in Port au Port Bay in recent years.

Today, NDP Environment and Conservation critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) brought their concerns to the House of Assembly’s Question Period.

NDP Environment Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) is appalled that government has known for at least a year about the rapidly increasing amount of oil in Port au Port Bay without taking strong and immediate action.

NDP Environment critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says horrific pictures of leaking oil from abandoned drill heads on Newfoundland’s west coast highlight one of the major environmental hazards the province could face if hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is ever permitted here.

With one week remaining to get submissions in to the panel reviewing fracking in the province, a coalition of 13 groups representing hundreds of people held a news conference this morning to publicize their concerns about the make-up of the panel.

A consistent public complaint about the government-appointed panel to review hydraulic fracturing in the province is that there is no expert in public health on the panel. NDP Environment & Conservation critic George Murphy (MHA, St.

NDP Environment & Conservation critic George Murphy (St. John’s East) says the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on public health and the environment (including water supplies) should be a strong focus of the panel reviewing the possibility of using the process for oil exploration, whenever it finally announces the dates for the public hearings it is supposed to hold.

NDP Environment & Conservation Critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says it has been far too long since the public heard anything from the panel appointed last fall by government to review the potential consequences of hydraulic fracturing in the province.

NDP Environment & Conservation critic George Murphy (MHA, St. John’s East) says a weekend forum he attended was reassuring and encouraging. Murphy says winter weather made highway driving a little tricky, but he was glad he could make it, and offered kudos to the organizers, the Social Justice Co-operative and Save our Seas and Shores group.